Is there any way a betta and dwarf gourami live together? What about red crabs?

[LiamCH]

I just got my last neon tetras today and I got thinking about my tank's remaining occupants will be. I'm torn between dwarf gourami and bettas, and though I'm told they can't live together, I was wondering if there's any gender combination that would work. Would a male betta and a female gourami get along? If not, I was thinking of possibly a dwarf gourami couple... But would they fight, too? It's a shame that my two favourite fish seem to hate each other!

Anyway, I imagine I'm out of luck on this one, but I thought it's worth asking.

I was also looking at the possibility of getting a pair of red crabs, as I've always had a fascination with crustaceans. Would they be a threat to my neons, or a betta or gourami if I get them? It says on the page that they will attempt to catch small fish, but frankly I wouldn't imagine it'd be a credible threat to my neon tetras, which seem to move like lightening when they get scared. What are your thoughts on this?

Here's the page I was thinking of ordering from.

Red Crab - Aquatics to your Door

 

[mgamer20o0]

i believe those are brackish water crabs. not a big betta person so not 100% sure on the other. i would assume though there prob ways to keep them together.

 

[LiamCH]

Thanks. If these are the crabs they're selling, it appears they're completely unsuitable.

Perisesarma bidens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aside from the brackish water requirement, I imagine it's extremely difficult to provide a means for them to climb to the water's surface. I'll definitely avoid those.

As for the betta/gourami issue, does anyone have any ideas about that?

 

[eyring2210]

I say a trio of gourami one male and two female. The gourami will pick on each other a bit but having three spreads it out enough so that it is tolerable.

 

[HN1]

What size tank?

There are a few ways that a gourami and betta will work together, but not with the typically seen / easily sourced species IMO.

 

[LiamCH]

It's a ten gallon. Am I right in thinking I might have to leave this then? I was thinking of possibly getting a male/female pair of dwarf gourami, if that would work. What do you think? I'm finding all this stuff about fish compatibility incredibly confusing. I would love to get three gourami as suggested, but I wonder if that might be too much for the tank?

 

[HN1]

Three would be too much. A DG pair would work in a ten (without a betta), but females are tough to find. P.S. Don't believe the 12 year old at the chain store when they point to a nice pretty fish and say "that's a female". The females are rather drab and olive-brownish so they are not generally stocked.

An alternative, albeit a bit more "difficult to keep", would be a trio of chocolates.

 

[LiamCH]

Thanks for that. I've actually been looking around, and I was thinking of possibly including a small shoal of pygmy corydoras and one betta/dwarf gourami (still can't decide.) Do you think that might work? Maybe six pygmy corydoras. They're only the size of my little neons, so surely that wouldn't be overcrowding the tank?

 

[HN1]

6 Pygmies should be fine. How many neons are in there?

 

[LiamCH]

Eight. So you reckon I'd still have room for the six pygmies and a single betta/gourami?

 

[MartinBlank]

Eight. So you reckon I'd still have room for the six pygmies and a single betta/gourami?

Depends on how much filtration you have and how often you want to do PWC's. I would say you would be pushing your luck though.

 

[HN1]

Eight. So you reckon I'd still have room for the six pygmies and a single betta/gourami?

Yes. Provided that your filtration and husbandry habits (PWCs, etc) are up to snuff.

 

[LiamCH]

Thanks. I've got a Fluval Plus One, which is rated at 12 gallons so that should be all right. Are weekly water changes all right, do you think? I've already got into the habit of it anyway, so that shouldn't be too bad.

 

[iDream]

bettas are really about the specific fish, i had mine once with my danios and it was fine, while another wouldve murdered them quickly with a second thought. i've seen a betta with a few neon tetras but again if its aggressive it'll kill them quick, female bettas can be kept with other fish easier but are quite boring looking, as for the gourami i cant help there, i have a pair but i have no clue what gender, and theyre opaline, very cool color changing =]